Special session of Global Youth Multicultural Forum on youth empowerment held in Beijing

On April 11, a special session of the Global Youth Multicultural Forum was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Co-hosted by the Center for International Cultural Communication under China International Communications Group (CICG) and other parties, the event gathered more than 100 youth representatives from over 20 countries, as well as guests from foreign universities and international organizations, to discuss youth empowerment in global governance.

Guests from universities and international organizations and more than 100 youth representatives from over 20 countries attend a special session of the Global Youth Multicultural Forum in Beijing, April 11, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

The event closely aligned with the spirit of the Pact for the Future, a U.N. document adopted in 2024 that emphasizes sustainable development, international peace and security, science and technology and digital cooperation, youth empowerment and global institutional reform.

Guests conducted in-depth discussions on the competence of youth and practical ways of enhancing youth participation in global governance. 

United Nations official Daniela Lucia Vargas Moreno interpreted the core content of the Pact for the Future and encouraged young people to actively engage in multilateral affairs. 

Experts from universities pointed out challenges such as insufficient say in decision-making and limited practical effectiveness facing youth participation in global governance at present, and called for efforts to cultivate their critical thinking, cross-cultural collaboration, and lifelong learning abilities, empowering young people to transform from policy takers to participants and co-creators in global governance.

Latvian expert Anzelika Smirnova (Anze) from CICG, drawing on her experiences in China, called on young people to break information biases through real experiences and be practitioners of cultural exchange.